bentley



. 2 SheetsSheet 1. E. M. BENTLEY. GONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY. ,417. Patented. Feb. 17,1891

(No Model.)

THE NOJIF1I$ versus 00., wow-1.11am, WASHXNHYON, n. c,

'2 SheetsSheet, 2.

(No Model.)

B. M. BENTLEY. GONDUIT ELEOTRIU RAILWAY.

Patented. Feb. 17

m: mums Pcnns cu, Moro-mum, wasmna'rau, u. c.

llnrrrnn Stern's Parent @rnrcm EDIVAED M. BENTLEY, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

CONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,417, dated February 17, 1891.

Original application filed October 13, 1887, Serial No. 252,268. Divided and this application filed May 18, 18881 Serial No. 274,346.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conduit Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my application, No. 252,268, filed October 13, 1887.

My invention relates especially to electric railways in which the main supply conductor or conductors are inelosed in a slotted conduit; and it consists in an arrangement of line-conductors for switching and crossing.

It is illustrated in the accompanying draw ings, in which- Figure 1 shows a conductorcrossing. Fig. 2 is a double-track conductor, switch, and crossing, and Fig. 3 a three-way switch.

The line-conductors and the contact device to which my invention is adapted are preferably of the construction shown in Patent No. 388,175, granted to \V. II. Knight, March 16, 1886.

In Fig. 2 is shown the arrangement of conductors for a double-track switch and crossing. Each main line, which will be provided with a main conductor, or, as shown in the drawings, with two conductors of opposite polarity, branches into two sidings or switch lines, and at the branching-points, respectively, they are provided with switch-tongues E E, such as shown in my patent, No. 338,022, granted March 16, 1886. hen the different tracks cross, the line-conductors are broken to allow the contact device belonging to a car upon one road to pass uninterruptedly across the other road. At the points where conductors which are of opposite polarity or which must be insulated from each other come together I bring them to a piece of insulating material which is so shaped as to form a continuation of the contact-line of both conductors. By this insulated extension the break in the contact-line is reduced to a minimum. This is distinctly shown at X, Fig. 2, and in Fig. 1, where'the extensionpieces X X, attached to the conductors, are

so shaped as to divert the contact-shoes D out of their normal path of travel and away from the conductor which is being crossed, in order that all danger of their striking against the conductor may be avoided. Two pairs of contact-shoes are used, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that one pair may be in contact with the conductors while the other is on the insulation. The spring which normally holds the shoes in contact has sufficient range to permit the deviation from the normal line of travel.

In the drawings the conductors of one polarity are represented by dotted lines, and of the other by full lines.

X is one of the insulating-pieces referred to.

In Fig. 1, where a crossing of two independent two-wire systems is represented, there are four sets of converging conductors radiating from the crossing, and the conductors of each set are completely insulated from one another by extension or corner pieces X of insulating material.

In Fig. 2 only two pieces X are used, which insulate from one another the conductors of sets T T and T T, while the conductors of the other sets '1." T and T T being of the same polarity, are joined, respectively, by curved metallic pieces Y, which are shaped to take the places of two insulating-pieces X, and against which the contact device will bear when passing the crossing.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a three-way switch by which a car can pass from one track to either one of three branch tracks. For this purpose I provide two conductor-switch points Z and Z both of which operate in the same manner as is set forth in my patent above referred to. When these two points are in the position shown in the drawings, the con tact device can pass from the main track to branch 1. lVhen the point Zis thrown over into the position indicated by dotted lines, the contact device will pass to branch 2, and when both points are moved into the dotted position it will pass to branch 3.

The switch points may be operated by means of any combination of levers or other mechanical devices, and thus set in a desired position. Similar tongues will be provided for the branching-conduit slot, as is shown in my said patent.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a double-track conduit system of electric railways, a housed main-line conductor pertaining to each track, and a branching-line conductor switching from one of said main-line conductors and crossing the other, and a break in said switch- 1n g-cond uctor to allow the free passage of the contact device along the main line, as set forth.

2. The combination of a double-track system of electric railways, an inclosed main conductor for each track, switches E E for the said conductors, respectively, and a crossing at the junction of the branch lines permitting the passage of a contact device along either branch track.

3. The combination, in a crossing for a twowire system of electric railways, of the converging sets of conductors and a metallic extension-piece connected to conductors of like polarity and insulated from the conductors .of opposite polarity, against which the contact device bears when passing the crossing.

4. The combination, in a crossing fora twowire system of electric railways, with four converging sets of conductors radiating from the crossing, of the insulated extension-pieces forming prolongations in the path of travel of the contact device and diminishing the break between opposite sets of conductors.

5. The combination, in' a crossing foratwowire system of electric railways, of the converging sets of conductors T T and T T electrically connected by conducting extension-pieces, against which the contact devices are adapted to bear, and the corresponding sets of conductors T T and T T insulated from each other at their inner ends.

6. The c0mbination,in an electric railway, of line-conductors and an extension-piece at the crossing-point, against which the contact device bears, shaped to divert the same out of its normal path of travel and away from the conductor being crossed.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this th day of December, 1888.

EDXVARD M. BEN LEY.

Witnesses:

ROBT. W. BLAOKWELL, G O. I. BLACKWELL. 

